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Allowed28 July 20253354950

Orchard Place, Benover Road, Yalding , Kent , ME18 6AU

Planning appeal 3354950 at Orchard Place, Benover Road, Yalding , Kent , ME18 6AU (Maidstone Borough Council) was allowed on 28 July 2025 by Inspector Dyer I, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

change of use of the land for the siting of 3no. static caravans and 3no. touring caravans for Gypsy/Traveller occupation as a single site, with associated hard and soft landscaping and habitat/biodiversity improvements

Authority
Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
caravan-gypsy · Change of use
Inspector
Dyer I
Postcode
ME18 6AU

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area
  • The effect of the proposal on the significance of Mill House, which is a Grade II listed building
  • Whether the proposal would provide appropriate living conditions for future occupiers with particular reference to privacy and outdoor amenity space
  • Whether the site is a suitable location for the proposal, having particular regard to policies concerned with development in areas at risk of flooding

What decided it

The substantial unmet need for gypsy and traveller accommodation in the borough, combined with the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of pitches and the site's suitability when assessed against flood risk and other criteria, outweighed the identified harms to character, appearance and heritage setting.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
LPRHOU8LPRQD4LPRSP15LPRSP9LPRSP14(B)LPRENV1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 13Paragraph 28Paragraph 63Paragraph 187Paragraph 212Paragraph 213Paragraph 215

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.